Buick Enclave Leaks When It Rains

Comments

I apologize that an already stressful time of year, especially with added complications of medical procedures, may have been made more so due to the concerns you are having with your Enclave.

We would like to get a Customer Assistance Case established for you, if you are interested. Please email us more information, including your name/Edmunds username, the last 8 digits of your VIN and current mileage, and the name of your involved dealership.

I am having the same problem with my 2009 Enclave of water leaking steadily from the passenger door onto the floor board when it is raining. I wanted to see if you had found a solution to this problem through your investigations?

We're available to assist you as well, gulfport_mom, if you're interested. Please send us an email with more information (include your name/Edmunds username, the last 8 digits of your VIN, as well as your vehicle issue) and we'll look into this. Regards, Sarah GM Customer Service

I too own a 2008 Enclave CXL and am having a problem with water leaking into the floor boards. I contacted a local dealer who advised me it was leaking from the sunroof, and that at one time there was a recall due to the problem. They told me to contact Buick to ensure they would pay for the repairs. I then contacted Buick Customer Service to be informed that my vehicle was not involved in the recall; however, a search of the web confirms what my dealer said. I am upset to know that Buick does NOT stand behind their vehicles, and will be filling a complaint with the BBB. Obviously, the problem is due to a problem while the vehicles were manufactured and for them to back out on the repairs is hideous.

Good morning, If you would like to get a Service Request established through us, which would allow us to look into your situation and explore any options that may be available, please get in touch via email (please include your name/Edmunds username, the last 8 of your VIN and mileage, and the name of your dealership). I can't make any promises as to the result of the Service Request up front, but we'd be happy to look into this. Sarah GM Customer Service

I have a 2008 Enclave that I love...however, a leak problem has existed since soon after I bought it. At first, I thought it was my imagination, that smell, the unmistakable smell of wet carpet. I searched dilligently thinking it was in the rear, but to no avail. At that point, I made an appointment with Richard Carr Buick here in Waco and they tested it and could find no leak. Here in Texas we have been in a drought so not so much rain. As time went on and it did rain this past fall, I discovered that the floorboard on the passenger was wet under the mat. I took it back in and they tested all day and found no leak. As it was pouring last week, I got in my car and low and behold I could see where the water was leaking in the front! So I checked the back and saw it leaking there too. I now have an appointment on Tuesday, Feb. 28 to take it in. I too am concerned about mold as I often carry my grandchildren and I have health problems also. I can't help but worry that this will not be taken care of as I am out of warranty. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I see that you have an appointment on Tuesday; if you would like to set up a Service Request with us, please send an email to the address in my profile with: your name/Edmunds username, phone and address, last 8 digits of your VIN and current mileage, and the name of your dealership. It would also be helpful to perhaps include a link to this post as my coworker Christina answers the incoming emails from the forum and would not necessarily know the context.

I sympathize with your concerns. Unfortunate, GM was of no help to our family when we had the same leak problem in our Buick Enclave. Do to concerns about health risks and future electronic and mechanical failures, I traded my Enclave for a Nissan Armada. Disappointing flaw in an otherwise quality vehicle. Even more disappointing failure from General Motors to take responsibility and treat their customers fairly. Particularly, after relying on those same tax paying customers to bail them out and save their company just a short time ago! How quickly they forget. It is sad. Good luck to you in finding a solution to your problem.

Thank you so much for contacting me. Of course I would like to have a Service Request set up. My name is Sheri Slider Estes, my VIN # is 5GAER23788J153121, and my mileage is 86524. I had taken it in before my extended warranty expired, but the dealership was not able to find the leak. The dealership I am dealing with is Richard Karr Motors here in Waco, TX. I have driven Buicks most of my life,, as my family did and I really want to see this resolved. My next car was going to be an Enclave also, but I am not ready to buy yet. Please make me a satisfied Buick owner, as I have been in the past. The car smells so strongly of mold, it is sickening and I really do love this car. I have advised many people to buy Enclave and Buick and have been satisfied except for this! Thanking you in advance for your help! Sincerely, Sheri Slider Estes

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get a Service Request set up for you. For your records, that number is 71-1043589565. We already had you in our database, but if you would like to send us any updated contact information (address/phone), you can do so by email.

I spoke with your service department just as your car was brought in, and will be calling back tomorrow afternoon to see how the diagnosis goes. They hadn't had a chance to look into it quite yet.

The service manager at the dealership contacted me yesterday with an update, and said he was getting ready to call you as well. I want to allow him the opportunity to speak with you first - have you already connected?

I have purchased a used 08 Buick Enclave. I have had it for a year now and within this year I am constantly taking it back for the same reason. My front passenger door is dropping so it doesn't close right. And every time i wash my car I have water coming inside. I believe it has to be from the sunroof. The passenger side panel where the seat belt is, is all soaking wet. It starts to smell like mildew and i have 3 young children. I can't afford to trade it in and be unside down. Is there a way that I can have this issue fixed? The dealership that I bought it from is a Nissan Dealership and they are giving me a really hard time. I was first going to purchase a brand new suv from them but their sales associates reassured me that they would take care of any issue I expirenced and now they don't want to help! Can someone please help asap??

I'm sorry to read about the leaking problem you are having with your Enclave, and that your experience with your Nissan dealership hasn't been satisfactory. Depending on the approach you decide to take on repairing your vehicle, I wanted to offer my help in the following ways: I can look into recall or warranty information on your vehicle with the last 8 digits of your VIN, or I can also work with you through the process of having one of our GM dealerships take a look at this.

I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH MY 2009 ENCLAVE. I DISCOVERED I FOUL ODOR IN MY CAR ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHILE ON VACATION. WE LOOKED EVERYWHERE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE AND COULDN'T. BY THE TIME WE WERE HOME IT WASN'T AS STRONG. HOWEVER, THIS MORNING I DISCOVERED THE PASSENGER FRONT FLOOR IS SOAKING WET AFTER A HUGE RAIN STORM LAST NIGHT. I THEN IMMEDIATLEY CALLED TURAN-FOLEY AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT IN AND THEY WILL CHECK IT OUT. I GET THERE AT 9AM AND EXPLAINED THE CAR IS STILL WET AND THE ISSUES I WAS HAVING AND HE SAID THAT MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED BY A MERE 2K MILES. AND FOR THEM TO DIGNOSE IT WILL COST 93.OO. REALLY... FIRST OF ALL I THOUGHT I HAD A 100K WARRANTY ONLY TO FIND IT IS A 50K AND THAT MY 100K MILE WARRANTY WAS A POWERTRAIN. . I TOLD HIM THAT ONE SIMPLY GOOGLE THAT THIS IN FACT IS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE AND SHOULD IN BE COVERED BY GM AND/RECALL. HOPEFULLY THE MOLD HASN'T SET IN AT THIS TIME I TOO HAVE CHILDREN AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE MOLD AND CORROTION AND ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT MAY COME IN TO PLAY. I AM CONCERNED THAT I REALLY MADE A BAD CHOICE. I HOPE THAT I GET GOOD NEWS TOMORROW AND THAT GM STEPS UP TO THE PLATE. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ON HERE AND THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL AT THIS POINT. I OTHERWISE LOVE MY BUICK AND WE HAVE BEEN A GM FAMILY FOR YEARS. PLEASE FIX THIS...

I have a 2008 Buick Enclave. We have had strong rain/hail storms that have caused my car to leak on both pillars by the windshield. I called Ron Smith Buick, Merced, CA. The service man said that he knew of no recalls but was aware of the problem caused by blocked/plugged sunroof drains. He suggested that I use compressed air and blow them out. I hope this works. Any other ideas. How many drains are there. I was only advised of two in the front of the open sunroof.

We just purchased a new 2012 Buick Enclave in South Texas on March 31st and today, April 16th, is the first time it rained since the purchase. After reading through many of the post about leaks on the Buick it sounds like GM has still not fixed the leak problems. There were two leaks that we noticed, one coming from under the dash/glove compartment, and the other leak coming from somewhere above the third seat, perhaps the rear center interior lights. We dropped off the car at the dealership and I am thinking they need to swap this car for another. I will repost the results of our experience.

I have a Saturn Outlook with the same issues-check out "Sunroof leak on my Saturn Outlook" in the Edmund Forum. The Enclave, Arcadia's and Saturn Outlook all have the water leaks from the sunroof that cause disastrous electrical outcomes. I wanted to share this information with y'all about the "Secret Warranties." This is why I believe GM has reps. monitoring these sites.FYI:Secret warranties are a multi-billion consumer abuse. Every auto company makes mistakes in building cars. Whether they are design defects that affect every car or whether they are manufacturing defects which affect only some cars, they must be repaired. The only question is who pays for the manufacturers' mistakes, the manufacturer or the consumer. Although the auto manufacturer often establishes a secret warranty to pay for the repair, all too often it is the consumer who pays for the manufacturer's mistake because the consumer never finds out about the secret warranty. That's wrong and the Center for Auto Safety wants to change it.

In a 1987 report the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) created national headlines by identifying 10 exemplary secret warranties covering 30 million vehicles and $3 billion in repair costs. Yet this is but the tip of the iceberg for we estimate that at any one time over 500 secret warranties exist for all auto companies. According to a Toyota whistleblower who provided a complete list in May 1988, Toyota alone had 41 secret warranties at that time.

By exposing secret warranties, CAS forces manufacturers to pay for their mistakes and creates a strong incentive for them to build better cars in the future. once secret warranties are disclosed, consumers will save hundreds, if not thousands, in repair bills on their personal cars. Spurred on by CAS exposes, state legislatures are moving to pass secret warranty disclosure laws that will protect consumers. Until then, consumers must rely on the strategies suggested in our book, Little Secrets of the Auto Industry, to discover and use secret warranties to pay for repairs in their vehicles.

What is a secret warranty? Auto companies hate the term secret warranties. They call them policy adjustments, good will programs, service campaigns or extended warranties . But whatever they are called, they are a longstanding industry practice. When a car company has a major defect that occurs after its written warranty expires, it establishes an adjustment policy to pay for repairs rather than deal with many thousands, if not millions, of complaints on a case by case basis. But the auto company communicates the policy only to regional offices and not even always to its dealers. The auto manufacturers never notify the consumer; so only the consumer who complains loudly enough gets covered by the secret warranty. Other consumers end up bearing the costs of the manufacturer's mistakes.

Examples of Secret Warranties CAS has documented case after case of secret warranties since our founding in 1970. one of the first and most famous was Ford's J-67 Limited Service Program which covered rust on 12 million 1969-72 cars and trucks. In this case a bulletin which went out only to Ford regional offices stated, "This is a limited service program without dealership notification and should be administered on an individual complaint basis." Under this program, Ford would pay up to 100% to repair rust and paint damage on its vehicles even if it cost over a $1000.

CAS has uncovered secret warranties on all auto companies with little differences between them. A 1972 Mazda secret warranty bulletin doubled the coverage for rotary engine damage but cautioned, "Since this is a temporary program which may be terminated at [any] time, owners are not to be informed of the extended coverage." Honda had secret warranties on head gaskets and rusting fenders in the mid-1970's; Chrysler had rusting fenders on Volares and Aspens in the late 1970's; GM had the transmission secret warranty caused by a ban on sperm whale oil as a lubricant; Peugeot and Subaru both covered defective head gaskets; and VW covered valve stem seals.

Secret warranties soared after 1980 when the federal government dropped all efforts to ban them. GM had a 5 year/50,000 mile secret warranty covering repair of defective rack and pinion power steering systems on all 16 million of its 1981-88 front wheel drive cars. Toyota covered pulsating brakes on its 1983-86 Camry in a $100 million secret warranty. Ford never told owners of its 1985-92 F-series pickups that America's most popular truck had peeling paint because Ford skipped the primer layer. According to Nissan documents provided to CAS by a whistleblower in 1990, Nissan had at one time up to 48 secret warranties covering various cars and trucks.

There is no doubt that auto manufacturers presently have many other secret warranties. However, assessing how widespread secret warranty programs are is difficult because these programs, by definition, are not intended for public disclosure. Since CAS began exposing secret warranties more widely in the 1980's, the auto makers having gotten better at keeping them secret. Even CAS can no longer get lists of secret warranties to disclose. one Honda insider told CAS that Honda has only one secret warranty book for each of its regions. The book is chained to a desk. Every page has the region's number superimposed on it so that any photo of a book page would show the region from which it came.

But it is known that the regulatory climate has been very favorable to the automakers since 1980. Furthermore, secret warranties are viewed by the automakers as an effective tool to maintain good customer relations. Loyal customers and customers that complain loudly and persistently are rewarded. Other consumers get saddled with repair costs caused by the manufacturers' mistakes.

No Uniform Law Requires Secret Warranty Disclosure No federal law requires auto companies to disclose secret warranties. In the late 1970's, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sought to litigate individual secret warranties against each auto company beginning with piston scuffing and cracked blocks in 1976-78 Fords. The FTC settled its case by requiring Ford to notify and directly compensate owners according to the secret warranty policy and to notify all future owners until the consent agreement expired eight years later in 1988. Although the FTC later filed similar complaints and actions against GM, VW, Honda, and Chrysler in the late 1970's, it dropped the requirement of secret warranty notification. In 1981 after the change of Administrations, the Commission completely dropped its efforts to expose secret warranties.

Where a secret warranty exists, consumers could ban together to file a class action against the manufacturer for an unfair trade practice but this is a major effort which is rarely used and is a poor substitute for a disclosure law. In 1989, CAS helped the Center for Public I

Where a secret warranty exists, consumers could ban together to file a class action against the manufacturer for an unfair trade practice but this is a major effort which is rarely used and is a poor substitute for a disclosure law. In 1989, CAS helped the Center for Public Interest Law successfully sue Toyota over a secret warranty that covered up to $1800 in repair costs for pulsating brakes in over 400,000 1983-87 Camrys. To settle CAS' class action Toyota agreed to 1) notify all present and past owners, 2) reimburse consumers for all repair expenses already incurred, and repair all cars with this defect that had not yet been repaired. CAS estimates the total cost to Toyota to be over $100 million, most of which would have been borne by consumers but for CAS' action.

State Secret Warranty Laws In order to protect consumers from undisclosed defects, five states (California, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, and Wisconsin) have enacted secret warranty laws and other states are considering secret warranty legislation. The state secret warranty laws already enacted require manufacturers to disclose their "warranty adjustment" programs by giving direct notice of any warranty extension to affected owners, including information about the terms of the warranty, and provision for reimbursement to consumers who already have paid for the covered repair. Until all states enact and enforce secret warranty laws, consumers will be kept in the dark about secret warranties.

How to Find a Secret Warranty Until secret warranty disclosure laws become the law of the land, the only way to find out about secret warranties is just plain hard work. First, one checks the technical service bulletins for your vehicle type and model year. Service bulletins are published by the manufacturer and sent to dealerships to assist them in diagnosing and repairing problems on the vehicles they service. The existence of a service bulletin does not conclusively prove the auto company has a secret warranty but it does show a defect or problem exists for which the manufacturer has had to develop a repair. Service bulletins can be difficult to decipher, but it is well worth the effort. Finding the right bulletin could save you thousands of dollars in repair costs. The right bulletin is the one that tells the dealer how to diagnose and fix the problem. It also will authorize the dealer to make the repairs at the manufacturer's expense even though the defect is no longer covered by the manufacturer's express warranty.

The trouble is that manufacturers often do not put the terms authorizing free repair in the technical service bulletins but give this information only to their factory representatives so that both the dealer and consumer are kept in the dark. Watch for code words in bulletins such as "check for availability of good will assistance." Companies often use such language to get around the triggering requirements for customer notification in states that have secret warranty disclosure laws.

Secret warranties are often revealed when owners of vehicles of the same type and age are treated differently by the dealer or manufacturer. If some owners get their vehicles repaired at no cost or at a discount whereas other owners of the same vehicle do not, it is possible that a secret warranty covers the defect involved. However, it is also possible that the dealer or manufacturer has decided on a case-by-case basis to reimburse a relatively small number of owners to retain their goodwill and not as part of a warranty adjustment program. To constitute a secret warranty, the difference in treatment of customers must be based on a corporate policy to reimburse owners that is communicated to regional offices and usually also to dealers but that is not communicated to consumers.

How to Use a Secret Warranty After determining that your vehicle is covered by a secret warranty, the next step is to take advantage of your knowledge. The best way to do this is to take the service bulletin that proves the existence of the secret warranty with you when you go to your dealer to get the defect repaired. Without the bulletin, you will have a much more difficult time getting the dealer to repair your vehicle free of charge. Even if the dealer refuses to recognize the existence of the secret warranty [he might not know that the secret warranty exists] or if your vehicle is beyond the period of coverage of the secret warranty, he still may repair your vehicle at no expense as part of a goodwill adjustment.

If the dealer claims your vehicle is not covered by a secret warranty and refuses to give you a goodwill adjustment, your next step is to pursue your claim directly with the manufacturer. You should do this for two reasons. First, unlike dealers, the manufacturer will know always know if a certain defect in one of its own vehicles is covered by a secret warranty. Second, every manufacturer has a system to handle consumer complaints, which should be followed even though it may not work in most cases. Complaint handling mechanisms outside the manufacturer's system (e.g. arbitration) require exhaustion of all remedies that the manufacturer provides.

Contact the manufacturer's division (also called regional, district or zone) office in your area. The locations and correct names of district offices and the complaint procedures are often spelled out in the owner's manual. If the manufacturer's representative refuses to see you, contact the regional office or the manufacturer's owner relations office, often located in Detroit for domestic manufacturers, California for Japanese and Asian manufacturers, and New Jersey for European manufacturers.

If the manufacturer refuses to extend the secret warranty to your vehicle (perhaps because your car is beyond the time or mileage requirements of the secret warranty), do not give up. Manufacturers only reimburse those owners who complain loudly and persistently; those who put off complaining, or who never complain at all, must pay for the manufacturer's mistakes.

The next step is to make enough noise outside the manufacturer's complaint handling system to get results. A strong commitment is necessary to successfully use this procedure, because you will not get results unless you are willing to persistently follow up letters and phone calls.

Complain in writing to the manufacturer's Chairman of the Board or President with copies of that letter to others. Set forth the defect covered by the secret warranty clearly and precisely within the letter and refer to the collected documentation of the car's troubles and your attempts to have the car repaired "within the system."

My 2008 Enclave started leaking last summer (2010). Water is sloshing around under the dashboard and when you make a left hand turn it pours on to the passenger floor. We brought it in to the dealer last summer and they "fixed" it twice. Once pulling off the windshield and re-sealing it and they also replaced the motor for the fan that was sitting in a bunch of water. It appeared to be fine for the winter months except we now have a whistling sound coming through the dash when you are on the highway. this spring our AC failed and we were told it was the compressor. We took it in right away (our warranty expires this week!!) and they replaced the AC compressor and said they fixed the leak and the whistling. The leak is not back yet...but I am worried about the damage to the AC again (having the fans sitting in water) and I am not convinced that he really "fixed" what is wrong. Plus - the whistling is still there. Can I get some help??

I'm sorry that the couple of trips you made into the dealership for the leak didn't resolve the issue completely. If we can look into this further with you, please send the following information to us at socialmedia@gm.com: your name/Edmunds username, phone and address, the last 8 of your VIN and current mileage, the name of your dealership and any details you can recall (date, amount paid, etc.) about those two previous visits.

Have read about massive water leak problems, particularly with the 2008 model. I'm thinking about buying a new 2012 model. Does the "water leak" problem still exist on the 2012's after all these years? This would be a deal breaker for me.

i bought brand new car in sept. 2008 and now it broke down the whole engine felt apart the millage is 102000 and the bucik don't want to fixed it when it there fault the car over heated after 1 year of having the car. i should just sell it than since than it one problem after another i had the car leaked and it was fixed twice and still it leaks, and now the engine broke down because it was not fixed the first time. and Buick don't want to fixed it now. No wonder they will bankrupt soon.

Have you worked with Customer Assistance to set up a case yet? If so, would you be able to send that number to us (71-**********) at socialmedia@gm.com? Alternatively, you can send the last 8 digits of your VIN. We would like to check into the case for you.

Did you get any feedback on the 2012 from anyone. Whether the problem has been fixed. I now have mine at the dealership, 2008 model with 38,000 miles. This is the third trip and now have mold in electrical system. Dealership is telling me the problems/kinks have been worked out since 2011. Has anyone been able to confirm the 2011 or 2012 model issues have been corrected. This is also a deal breaker for me on any upgrade offer they make. Any feedaback will be appreciate as I will make a decision this week or start looking at somethign other than GM. Looks like it may become another government owned bureaucrcy with poor products and services. Very unsatisified and product is untrustworthy, including dealers if I can't get confirmaiton this has been resolved.

flywillie,Thank you for taking the time to post your concerns. Please let me know what you hear from the dealer. Can you please email me directly with your VIN, dealer of choice, and contact information? I would like to look into your situation further. I look forward to your email.ChristinaGM Customer ServiceSocialMedia@GM.com